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Maria walks in with a sheepish smile on her face. “Hi, Quinn, can I talk to you?”
Perfect, I definitely need to talk to her, too.
“Sure, have a seat.” I gesture to the chair in front of me.
Maria sits down and wrings her hands together. “I hate to ask, but I’m gonna need, like, two weeks off.”
My eyebrows rise and I ask, “Why?”
She tries to beam me with a charming smile and it almost works, but I’ve been able to see through her faux charm for a while. “Well, my boyfriend booked a trip to the Caymans for early August. I mean, it’s early July now, so I thought I’d give you plenty of notice.”
“Well, I don’t mind giving days off, darlin’, but two weeks off in a row is a bit much. I can handle the brewery all by m’self, but when we’re busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, it’s difficult alone, ya see?”
She grins at my pun. “I know, Miss Quinn, but I really want to go on this trip. This guy, he means a lot to me,” she says, flashing an innocent-looking smile at me.
But I know better.
This girl, she’s very pretty but can’t seem to keep a boyfriend. She attracts them like flies on honey but loses them faster than a whore leaving church during a premarital sex sermon.
“Listen, Maria. I’m gonna shoot straight with you. Okay, darlin’? You’ve called off so many times, you’ve been about as useful as a tube of lipstick in a toolbox some days.” She frowns at me, confused, but I continue. “I’ve been contemplating lettin’ you go, but I like you. So… I’m gonna tell you that, no, you can’t have two full weeks off. I can, however, give you one full week.”
“But—”
I put my hand up, cutting her off. “And I’m also going to give you some advice you didn’t ask for.” I put on a charming smile, and if she were close enough, I’d grab her hand for effect. “You are much too purdy to be settlin’ for these losers and users. Get yourself a nice boy who treats you right.”
“But he’s taking me on a trip—”
“Because you’re pretty. He wants to show you off. Right? What else does he do for you?” I ask.
“Well, he… he…” She hangs her head. “I dunno. I guess nothing.”
I give her a sympathetic look. “It’s all right. You’re young. You can do better.”
With a heavy sigh, she stands. “I better go check on my tables.” She heads for the door.
“Hey, kiddo. Chin up.”
She looks back with a smile. “Thanks, Ms. Quinn.”
I dip my head at her before she disappears through the door.
Three
Lincoln
With a yawn and a stretch, I open my eyes and immediately reach for the remote on my nightstand. I aim it toward the window, watching as the curtains part and the sun streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The Rocky Mountains greet me, their snowless peaks glittering in the early morning summer sunbeams. I verbally instruct the AI to play spa music, and after using the bathroom, I stand on the mat in the corner of my expansive bedroom and do five minutes of stretches to wake me up.
Once I feel limber enough, I head downstairs in my swim trunks and into my backyard, where a cold swimming pool greets me. I take a deep breath and dive head-first into the deep end, swimming slow laps for three minutes, and then promptly get out. I head upstairs, and a lukewarm shower feels great, even though, like every day, I wish I could turn it on hot to warm me up, but I know better than to shock my body like that.
After a shave and a shower, I pad into my room. I click on the TV to the stocks channel and then pull up my clothing app on my phone. I see that I haven’t worn a gray suit in over two weeks, so I use the remote to spin the suits around in my closet until I stop on a silvery-gray Armani. The app shows I haven’t worn a purple tie in three weeks, so I select a plain eggplant-colored one, then finish getting dressed and ready, and head outside.
“Hello, sir,” Lucas, my driver, greets as he waits with the Bentley door open in the circular driveway.
I lock my front door with a code and slide into the car. “Good morning.”
Lucas gets in and drives down the street, then asks, “Coffee, sir?”
“Yes, please.”
